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New survey results from America Bikes reveal overwhelming support for biking and walking, with more than 80 percent of Americans favoring level or increased federal funding for sidewalks and bike lanes.
Shortly after students and their parents gathered to celebrate National Bike to School Day, members of Congress joined business leaders, organizers, and national bicycle advocacy organizations to announce the new data. The national survey, performed by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, asked 1,003 adults in the United States about their opinions on federal funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, and bike paths. The results were astounding — and bipartisan:
- 83 percent of all respondents support maintaining or growing the federal funding streams that pay for sidewalks, bikeways, and bike paths.
- 80 percent of Republican respondents and 88 percent of Democrat respondents think Congress should maintain or increase federal funds for biking and walking.
- 85 percent of Northeastern respondents, 79 percent of Midwesterners, 84 percent of Southerners, and 84 percent of respondents from Western states reported support for maintaining or increasing funding for sidewalks and bikeways.
- 91 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 support continuing or increasing biking and walking funds.
Download the four-page survey summary here and the full white paper here.
These results add critical perspective to a pressing national debate about transportation, as members of Congress conference to develop a consensus transportation bill — and some propose eliminating dedicated funding for biking and walking.
Infographic by America Bikes.
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